Prepayment time-switch apparatus.



Not 849,024.

PATENTED APR. 2, 190?. E.SGHATTNER. PRE'PAYMENT TIME SWITCH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1905.

Inventor: Ernest S'chattner; by ma /Jig;

Witnesses:

ERNEST SOHATTNER, OF SOHEIFECTAD ELECTRIOCOMPANY, A 00 Y, NEw YORK,AssieNoR TO GENERAL RPORATION or NE YORK.

PREPAYMENT TIME -S-WIT CH APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed J 11116 23, 1905. Serial No. 266,649.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST SOHATTNER, a subject of the King of England,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pre Switch Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to switch apparatus for electric circuits,and more particularly to apparatus designed to complete a circuit orpermit it to be completed for a definite period of time upon theprepayment of a proper coin. In many places where electric energy isconsumed in small quantities as, for example, where the consumer burnstwo or three incandescent lampsit is not desirable to provide anexpensive wattmeter for recording the consumption. Under theseconditions it has been proposed to employ time-switch mechanism arrangedto close a circuit upon the prepayment of a particular coin and tomaintain it closed for a definite period thereafter.

The object of the present invention is to so construct and arrange theparts of a switch apparatus adapted upon the insertion of a proper cointo supply current for a predetermined aggregate period of time which mayconsist of any number of increments, that the apparatus shall be cheap,reliable in operation, and require no especial attention.

The present invention" will be fully under,- stood and further objectsthereof will appear in the following description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of switchapparatus arranged in accordance with the present invention, theinclosing cover being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of the coin-controlledswitch-operating device. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the main switch andthe lever of the clock-stopping device, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showingthe location of the switch apparatus in a lighting-circuit includingthree lamps.

Similar reference characters throughout the specification and drawingsindicate corresponding parts.

Reference being had to the drawings, 1 indicates a slab of insulatingmaterial, on one side of which is mounted a clockwork 2 of paymentTimeany suitable construction, while on the other side are arrangedswitches 3 and 4 and cooperating parts. Switch 3 is the main switchcontrolled by the clockwork, and 4 is an auxiliary switch which may beopenedor closed at will by the consumer. The switch 3 consists of a jaw5 and a knife-blade 6. An arm 7, projecting from the member 6, formstherewith a bell-crank lever, which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 8.When otherwise free, the switch member 6 moves with the shaft 8 byreason of a spring connection between this member and the shaft, whichcomprises a spring 9, secured at its opposite ends, respectively, to theswitch-blade 6 and to an arm 10, rigidly secured to the shaft andprojecting therefrom, the switchblade normally resting said arm. Theswitch members 5 and 6 are so arranged that after the blade has beenforced home the shaft 8 may be turned in a counter-clockwise directionwithout opening the switch, thereby placing the spring 9 under tension.The shaft is operated in the switch-closing direction by means of abutton 11, which inclosingcasing. (Not shown.) The button is connectedto the shaft through the two clutch members 12 and 13, which engage witheach other, but are not connected together.

tively, with narrow slots 14 and 15, which when the two members areplaced in opera tive relation to each other form a passage of the properdimensions for receiving the coin with which prepayment is to be made. Normally the button 11 may be turned without affecting the shaft 8; butwhen it is turned so as to bring the slot 15 into alinement with slot 14a coin may be dropped through a chute 16 into the slots 14 and 15,locking the button to the shaft. A shield 17, arranged on the lower sideof the parts 12 and 13, sustains the coin until the lower portion of theslots pass the edge 19 of the shields, whereupon the coin is releasedand drops into the bottom of the casing. The length of the shield issuch that the movement of the shaft before the coin is released issuflicient to wind u the spring 18 of the clockwork and bring t eswitch-blade 6 into engagement with the jaw 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and4. The movement of the button 11 is limited by extends to the exteriorof the- The members 12 and 13 areprovided,respec der cooperating withsuitably-spaced fixed stops, which may be the edges of the shield 5 1?.Normally the clockwork is locked 20, which engages with the teeth of thebalance-wheel 21 of the clockwork. The stop 20 is carried upon one endof a pivoted lever I 22, which when the switch 8 is open occumember 26and lever 22. hen the switch 4 is closed, the rocker 27 is readily swungabout its pivot by the lever 22 and does not interfere therewith; butupon the opening against operation by means of a w1re-stop pics theposition shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4, being held in thisposition by the arm 7. however, the lever 22 is rotated to the positionshown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 4 by means of the spring23namely, tothe posi tion whereln the stop 20 is out of engagement with thebalance-wheel. It will be seen,

\Yhen the switch 3 is closed,

of the switch -i one end of the rocker is cngaged by the movable memberof the switch, causing the rocker to be swung upon its pivot and itsopposite end to engage with and move the lever 22 to locking position.

Although I have illustrated the present invention as arranged to operateon single coins only, it is obvious that with slight modifications anynumber of coins may be inserted,

therefore, that as soon as the proper coin is inserted and the button 11turned until the I coin drops into the bottom of the box the clockworkis set in operation, turning the shaft backward, and at the end of apredetermined time bringing it to its normal position. As previouslystated, the switch 3 will remain closed, due to the frictionalengagement between its parts, so that the retrograde movement of theshaft does not of itself open the switch. \Then the shaft 8 has throughwhich it was previously moved by the button 11, a lug 24 strikes againstthe switch-blade 6 and positively disengagcs it from the jaw 5.considerable tension, withdraws the blade suddenly, producing aninstantaneous break. At the same time the arm 7 flies into engagementwith the lever 22 and depresses it into the position shown in dottedlines na-mel v, into the position wherein the clockwork is lockedagainst operation.

providing for a corresponding increase in the amount of energy whichwill be supplied before the switch 3 is opened.

It will also be understood that various modifications may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the parts illustrated without departingfrom the scope of the pres- 1 ent invention, and I do not desire to belimit ed to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shownexcept to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electricallyconnected in been returned through the entire angle:

clockwork, and means for automatically The spring 9, being under" If noadditional means were provided, the i entire amount of energy creditedto the consumer upon deposit of the proper coin would have to beconsumed in one continuous interval. It may, however, be desired to useonly a small portion of this energy at any one time, and for thispurpose switch 4 has been provided. This switch comprises, preferably, asnap-switch of any usual or desired form arranged to be operated bymeans of a button 25, which also is adapted to project from theinclosing casing for the apparatus. The function of the switch4 is tointerrupt the circuit when desired and at the same time to stop theclock in order that the main switch may remain closed until current hasbeen supplied for the whole period of time. To this end the movablemember 26 of the switch 4 is arranged to operate upon the lever 22 tomove it to the locking position whenever the switch 4 is open. course beaccomplished in various ways-as, for example, as illustrated, whereby acurved pivoted rocker 27 is arranged with its rcstopping said clockworkwhen either of said switches is opened.

2. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electricallyconnected in series and operable entirely independently, a clockwork foropening one of said switches, manually-operable means for closing thisswitch and winding the clockwork, and means for automatically stoppingsaid clockwork when either of said switches is opened.

3. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, two switches electricallyconnected in series and operable entirely independently, a clockwork foropening one of said switches, a winding-shalt having a limited movementfor closing this switch and winding the clockwork, and means forautomatically stopping said clockwork when either of said switches isopened.

4. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork foropening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, meansassociated with said shaft t for causing said switch to close when saidshaft is moved to one limit of its movement I and to cause the switch toopen when the I shaft is brought to its other limit of move- This may ofspective ends in the path of movement of the 1 means associated withsaid shaftfor closing and opening said switch at the opposite limits ofmovement of the shaft, and means for operating the shaft to close theswitch.

'6. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a .switch, a clockwork foropening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, andmeans associated with said-- shaft whereby the movable member of theswitch is placed under tension during the movement of the shaft from theswitchclosed to the switch-open position.

7 In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, "a switch, a clockwork foropening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, meansassociated with said shaft for causing said switch to close when saidshaft is moved to one limit of its movement and to cause the switch toopen when the shaft is brought to its other limit of movement,fmeans forrotating the shaft to close the switch, and means for stopping theclockwork when the switch is in the open position.

8. In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork foropening said switch; a winding-shaft having a limited movement, meansassociated with said shaft for causing said switch to close when saidshaft is? moved to one limit of its movement and to cause the switch toopen when the shaft is brought to the other limit of its movement, meansfor operating the shaft to close the switch, a second switch, and meansassociated with said second switch for stopping said clockwork when thesecond switch isopened.

9; In a prepayment time-switch apparatus, a switch, a clockwork foropening said switch, a winding-shaft having a limited movement, a switchmember mounted upon said shaft, a complementary switch member mounted torotate with said'shaft and arranged to engage with'the movable switchmember when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and a springconnecting said movable switch member and said complementary switchmember whereby when the shaft is rotated by the clockwork the spring isplaced under tension and an instantaneous break at the switch isproduced.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of June,1905.

I ERNEST SOHATTNER.

Witnesses: I g

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFonD.

